Bronnie first felt love in bucket nets, Cleveland

CLEVELAND — With the game decided early in the second half, the Cavaliers en route to a 134-110 win and their first 5-0 start since 2016, the Cleveland crowd started rooting for the other team Wednesday night.

Especially for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Brony James, son of LeBron, the greatest player in Cavaliers history.

A “we want brony!” The chant began midway through the third quarter and returned midway through the fourth quarter when Lakers coach JJ Redick agreed, subbing him for his first career second regular-season game action.

And this time, he got his first NBA bucket.

Broney scored on a 14-foot step-back jumper from the left wing over Jaylon Tyson with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, prompting a standing ovation from fans standing around and showing appreciation for the hometown product.

“It was crazy,” Broney said of the reception after finishing with 2 points, 2 assists and 1 steal in five minutes. “I definitely exceeded expectations. But it's all love. It was crazy. It was a wonderful moment. The songs really got me. I was straight, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially coming from here.

“Yes, it was definitely a special moment for me.”

LeBron said this type of moment consumed him when he was a rookie with the Cavs in 2003.

“He's in a better situation than me — 20,000 fans coming into the game screaming my name and wanting me to be in the game, and if the roles were reversed, I don't know if I would have been able to handle it,” said LeBron, who had 26 points but six. turnover as they lost in Cleveland for the third time in 12 games. “To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not far from here, it's an incredible moment.

“An incredible moment for him, first of all. For our family. It's great to be a part of it.”

Brony last played on opening night, subbing with LeBron in the second quarter against the Timberwolves and shooting 0-for-2 from the field in three minutes. This time, he watched his father from the sidelines and his grandmother, Gloria, sat in the stands wearing a Lakers hat as he watched another generation compete in the family business.

“I've been taught to play the right way my whole life,” Brony said, sitting next to LeBron in their postgame press conference. “So, just me going out there and playing my game is always something I'm going to do.”

From the moment he checked in with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter, the crowd screamed for Broney to shoot the ball. His teammates were responsible for seven shot attempts over the next three minutes before he finally got one off.

The game came 10 years after LeBron played his first game in his second stint with the Cavs — a four-year stretch in which he led the team to four NBA Finals and delivered the only championship in franchise history in 2016, ending a 53-year title drought for the city. Break up.

Although the Akron, Ohio, native was reviled by Cleveland sports fans when he signed with the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2010, his return healed old wounds and the region rallied around LeBron and his family. It was abundantly clear Wednesday, with the Cavs greeting LeBron and Bronny with welcome pictures, celebrating the Golden State Warriors' title on the locker room video screen, and then playing a tribute video using a first-quarter timeout. Father-son duo.

“We spent a lot of years here,” LeBron said later. “We're part of this community, obviously. … We were born not far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] Hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career — half of my career — here.

“We've had a lot of great moments. We've had a lot of great moments not only on this arena floor, but whatever the name is, if it was Gund Arena or the Q, and now it's Rockets Arena. … A lot of great memories on the court, but also in this community. Having a mutual respect and love for what we've been able to do over the years that we've been here, it's definitely very humbling.”

For Broney, who said he was dragged to the top floor of the arena to play pickup games on the practice court while his father was playing NBA games, he felt his time on center stage.

“A lot since I picked up the ball,” Broney said when asked how long he envisioned scoring his first basket in the pros. “I see [my dad] One minute to play in the league. Just dreaming I'm in the steps of those players, not only that [LeBron’s] But played against and with players.

“So yeah, it's just a dream come true for me.”